"I know there's been a number of submissions from the public that are urging the Minister to reject this proposal on environmental grounds, looking at the impact that this weir will have on the health of the environment of the lower lakes," she said.

"There is no use simply amputating sections of the river as we go upstream, it's not an appropriate response to our water crisis.

"What we need to be doing is managing the system on a national basis, stepping down water usage and ensuring that we stop taking more water out of the system than is going into it."